Illuminated sign.



J. BUTENSGHON. ILLUMINATED SIGN. nruouroi nu n! 19, 1m.

1,1 331,926. Patented Har. 3o, 1915.

2 SHEETS-BEBE? 1.

J/h/ mom anew@ 191 'j To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN BUrnNsoHoN, a citizen of the United States, residin at Anniston, in the State of Alabama, ave invented new and useful Improvements in Illuminated Signs, of which the following is a s ecification.

This invention relates to improvements in illuminated signs and has particular application to a double faced sign.

In carrying out the present invention, it is my purpose to rovide an illuminated sign which will em ody, among other features, a face plate cut out to form the letters or characters and a reflecting plane dis osed behind the face late and arranged ia onally relatively7 t ereto, a source of light eing interpose the reflecting plane and the a jacent portion of the face plate and projecting its rays onto lthe reflecting plane so that the light will be projected through the letters or characters Vof the si n to illuminate the same.

y It is a so my purpose to provide a double faced illuminated sign which will embody two face plates spaced apart in parallelism and each cut out to form the characters or etters of the sign, and screens placed in ace to face contact and disposed immeiately behind each face plate, a foraminous eflecting plane being -mterposed between he rear side of the sets of screens and aranged diagonally thereto, the construction ehind eac face plate forms a background or the other face plate and render the reflecting plane and sources of light Within hc casing of the sign invisible.

A further object of my invention is to provide a double faced sign wherein the ight ravs will be conveniently distributed and the through'the face plates of the sigln c early and characters or letters brought out distinctly.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth in and falling within the yscope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Fi re 1 is a face View of a sign constructed 1n acrdance with the plresent invention. Fig. 2

a longitudinal orizontal sectional vlew erethrough on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 a transverse sectional view t erethrough line 3--8 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged Specification otLetters Patent.

Application Med May 19, 1914. Serial No. 889,624.

between the s aced edge of nd arran ement being such that the screen il la ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BUTENSCHON, F ANNISTON, ALABAMA.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

Patented Mar. 30, 1915.

plan view showing one set of screens placed in face to face contact. Fig. is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view showing a modified form of sign.

Referring nowl to the drawings in detail, 1 designates a substantially rectangular frame constructed of any suitable material, while 2, 2 indicate face plates closing the opposite sides of the frame and suitably fastened thereto. In the present instance, each face plate 2 is cut out to form a series of circular openings 3 arranged to simulate letters or characters and formed integral with the wall of each opening at the topmost point thereof and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom is a tongue 4 havin the outer surface thereof highly po ished, the tongues acting to ornament the characters or letters of the sign.

Disposed immediately behind each face plate 2 and in face to face contact therewith is a screen 5 havin the edges thereof suitably secured to the inner walls of the frame and the cross wires arranged diagonally of the face late, While placed in face to face contact wifih the screen 5 is a second screen 6 disposed behind the first screen and having the cross wires thereof extending horizontally and vertically the edges of the screen 6be1n appropriately fastened to the inner walls o the frame.

Disposed within the frame 1 between the confrontin surfaces of the rear screens 6 and secure to the top and bottom walls of the frame in some suitable manner is a vertical reflecting plane 7 arranged diagonally with respect to the face plates. This reflecting plane is preferably composed of foraminous material, such as wire screen, coated with White enamel.

Secured to each end wall of the frame 1 and projcctin into the space between one screen 6 and t e spaced end of the reflecting plane are incandescent lamps 8 equipped 1 with reflectors 9 whereby the light rays are projected onto the adjacent face of the rcflecting plane 7 and over the face of the reflecting plane the light rays are directed outwardlv of the confronting sign through the screens 5 and 6 and openings 3 thereby illuminating the characters or letters of the gli ractice, each face of the reflecting plane projects the light rays through the confrontm screens 5 and 6 and the sign, while the oraminous material of the reflecting plane and the screens 5 and 6 of one sign form a background for .the other Sign, the screens 5 and 6 of the particular sign acting to break u the licht rays and renderfthe reflecting p ane andJ lamps within the easing invisible.

Extending across the top of the Casin and suitably fastened -to' the Iupper wa thereof is a concaved reflector 10 preferably vcomposed -of aluminum and actin to project the rays of light through'the c iaracters lor letters in a downward direction in order to illuminate the vicinity of-the sign. ySecured to theopposite-faces of the sign Vadjacentto the 1u per edge thereof and pro- )ecting -outwar ly ltherefrom are lamps 11 which, when illuminated, Ithrow the light -rays onto the -tongues 4 with the effect to increase the ornamental yappearance of the characters of'the sign.

In -the modified form of the invention 'illustrated in lFig. 5, -two reflecting planes `12-and113 areemployed in place of the sinffle plane`7 and such planes are placed -in e "e to edge contact and arranged diagonally within the frame, the ilamps -for illuminating one face of the sign being secured to the opposite end walls of the frame, while those for illuminating the other face of the sign are disposed approximately centrally of such Iface within the easing formed by the frame and faceplates.

From =the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,the construction of my limproved sign rwiil'be readily apparent.

It -will be seen that I have provided an illuminated sign wherein the letters or characters are brought-out clearly and ,distinctly and wherein the light -rays are projected through the opposite faces of the sign by .means cfa 1single reflecting plane.

'While I'have herein shown and described certainypreferred forms of my invention by way of illustration, I wish it to be understood-that I do not limit or coniinermyself Aplatessecured .to the opposite sidesof the frame and each cut out to form the characters of the sign, a screen disposed at the rear of each faceplate and in face to face contact therewith, a second screen in face to face contact with each of said irst screens, a reflecting plate composed of oraminous material coated with white enamel interosed between the confronting faces of said ast screens and arranged diagonally Within the casing and sources of light carried by the opposite end walls of said casing and designed to project their rays onto the adjacent surfaces of the reflecting plate.

2. A face plate for illuminated signs having openings formed therein arranged to simulate characters, tongues formed integral with the walls of the openings at .the topmost ,point thereof, and projected outward y and downwardly therefrom whereby the face plate of the sign is ornamented.

In testimony whereof I alhx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN BUTENSCHON.

Witnesses:

W. P. Acme, LOUISA NONNENMACHER.

opleamt'tldl patent may be obtained for avc cents each, 'by addressing the Commissioner ot Patents,

Flammen, D. 0. 

